Portland, Oregon, isn’t just a place with great coffee and bridges; it’s also the backdrop for some fantastic reads. Authors have set all sorts of stories here, from childhood adventures to gritty thrillers and magical journeys.
If you’re curious about novels that capture some essence of Portland, here are ten worth exploring.
Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books are treasures. They chronicle the life of Ramona Quimby, a girl with boundless energy and imagination who grows up on Klickitat Street in Portland.
Ramona faces typical childhood hurdles like school projects, family squabbles, and just trying to understand the world. In Ramona the Pest, she desperately wants to be the star of the school Nativity play. Later books show her family life and her own perspective shifts.
Cleary really captures the feel of Portland neighborhoods through Ramona’s experiences.
This specific Ramona story focuses on a tough time for the Quimby family. Ramona’s father loses his job, and young Ramona feels the household stress. She decides she needs to help, maybe by getting her dad to quit smoking or by earning money herself.
Her efforts are often hilariously misguided but always come from the heart. There’s a memorable scene involving a school Christmas play where Ramona tries her best despite everything. It shows her determination and deep love for her family.
In this follow-up to Wildwood, Prue and Curtis return to the secret, magical forest near Portland. Prue gets pulled further into the forest’s politics and secrets. Curtis finds himself on a separate path that presents its own set of trials.
Readers discover a hidden city beneath the ground and encounter new dangers. Friendships and loyalties are tested, which will affect the future of Wildwood itself.
This adventure begins when crows snatch Prue McKeel’s baby brother and fly him into the Impassable Wilderness, a forbidden forest just outside Portland. Twelve-year-old Prue bravely goes in after him.
Inside Wildwood, she finds a hidden world full of talking animals, different groups fighting each other, and strange wonders. It’s a journey into a secret place that exists right next to the familiar city.
Michael Hornburg’s novel throws you into the Portland scene of the 1990s. The main character, David, tries to make art and figure out his life among a group of unique friends.
His relationship with Courtney, a woman who embodies a certain kind of wild spirit, is central to the story and adds plenty of complication. The book has a specific feel, full of the humor, confusion, and sometimes the aimlessness of youth during that era.
This thriller starts with a series of chilling crimes, but the killer vanishes. Years later, similar murders happen in Portland. A determined lawyer and a sharp detective must work together.
They need to untangle a web of secrets that includes hidden identities and shocking discoveries. The story moves between New York and Portland as they race to understand the killer’s dark motivations.
Don Carpenter’s novel is a powerful story about Jack Levitt. Readers follow Jack through a rough life on Portland’s streets and beyond. His experiences include time in pool halls, run-ins with the law, and periods of incarceration.
The book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities he faces. It focuses on his key relationships and the difficult circumstances that mold him.
Donald Miller wrote this memoir about his personal exploration of faith. A significant part of his journey takes place in Portland, specifically during his time as an auditor at the very liberal Reed College.
He shares stories about his conversations with students and his attempts to live out his beliefs honestly. He asks big questions about life and God in a place known for its unique culture.
Patrick deWitt introduces Bob Comet, a retired librarian who leads a quiet, solitary life in Portland. One day, he encounters an elderly woman who seems lost, an event that leads him to volunteer at a local senior center.
This new activity prompts Bob to reflect on his past life. The novel shares flashbacks of his childhood, his experiences with love, and moments of loss. It slowly reveals the quiet depth and unexpected turns in the life of this seemingly ordinary man.
This novel centers on a teenage skateboarder in Portland. He accidentally becomes involved in someone’s death near the infamous Paranoid Park skatepark. The story explores his intense guilt and fear.
He tries desperately to hide his connection to the event while he deals with the usual pressures of being a teenager. The book offers a stark look at a young person’s conscience and moral choices.